🔗 Share this article Pauline Collins, Star of Shirley Valentine, Passes Away at 85 Pauline Collins, widely recognized for her role in the film Shirley Valentine, has passed away at the eighty-five years old. She died peacefully in her London care home, surrounded by her loved ones after living with Parkinson's disease for several years, as stated by her relatives. Collins will be best remembered for her depiction of unhappy homemaker Shirley in the director's acclaimed film, adapted from the acclaimed stage play by Willy Russell. Her critically acclaimed performance won her the Golden Globe Award for outstanding actress as well as a Bafta. 'Charming and Witty' She appeared with her spouse John Alderton in Upstairs Downstairs, appearing from 1971 to 1973 Her relatives released a statement saying: "Pauline was so many things to so many people, playing a variety of roles in her career. An intelligent, lively, and humorous figure on theater and film. Her illustrious career saw her portray leaders, parents, and royalty." "Her memory will endure as the legendary, determined, lively, and insightful Shirley Valentine - a part she completely owned. We knew all those parts of her because her charm was embedded in each one of them." They added she was their "loving mum, our wonderful grandma and great-grandmother", and actor John Alderton's "eternal partner" "Kind, humorous, giving, considerate, intelligent, she was always there for us," they expressed, appreciating her caregivers, who cared for her with "dignity, compassion, and most of all love" "She experienced a calmer departure. We hope you will remember her at the height of her powers; radiant and energetic; and allow us privacy to reflect on life in her absence" Stage Success She initially performed the title role of Shirley Valentine at the Vaudeville Theater in the UK capital in 1988. She won that year's Olivier award for outstanding actress. A year later she returned to the character on Broadway, New York, where she earned several awards including a prestigious Tony award. The movie adaptation was launched shortly after. Her other films included the 1991 film City of Joy with actor Patrick Swayze, filmed in Calcutta, which brought her wider recognition worldwide. A native of Exmouth in 1940, Collins was raised near the city of Liverpool and began her professional life as a teacher. Her love of the stage led her to take up acting on a side basis, and in 1957 she appeared briefly as a medical attendant in the TV series Emergency Ward 10. She featured in the film Secrets of a Windmill Girl in 1966, portraying an imaginary performer in a London adult entertainment venue, the Windmill Theatre. Following several theater parts, she used her Liverpool accent to land a role on The Liver Birds. It was through acting that she met her husband John Alderton. They married in 1969 and had a family of three, Nicholas, Kate, and Richard. The couple performed alongside each other in a number of television and film roles, such as Upstairs, Downstairs, in which she played a maid in ITV's popular series.